Electrical connector



1955 H. w. LEIGHTON ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR I Filed Oct. 25, 1950 Fig. 5

IN VEN TOR.

HERNDON W. LE/GHTON A TTORNEYS United States Patent ELECTRICAL CONNECTORHerndon W. Leighton, Montclair, N. J., assignor to Allen B. Du MontLaboratories, Inc., Clifton, N. 5., a corporation of DelawareApplication October 23, 1950, Serial No. 191,644

3 Claims. (Cl. 339-60) This invention relates to electrical connectorsfor use with electrical contacts of the type commonly used in the glassside wall of cathode ray tubes.

Electrical connection to the high voltage anode of a cathode ray tube iscommonly made in the art by either of two principal types of connectorsformed in the side wall of the tube. One type connector comprises aconducting material sealed in an opening in the tube, the materialhaving a central outwardly projecting element formed therein to serve asa contact. The other type connection employs a similarly shapedconducting element sealed into the tube but relying for electricalcontact on the edges of the opening rather than a centrally locatedprojection. In the art, difierent structures for making contact with thetwo types of connection have been required.

It is accordingly a fundamental object of the invention to provide animproved connector useful with either type contact.

Other objects and advantages will in part be obvious and in part appearhereinafter.

The structure accordingly embodies an electrical contact element and thejoint employing it, wherein the contact element is a unitary pieceturned upwardly at the ends, the base thereof being reentrant to definean open projection, the whole being of resilient material so that itresists lateral compression in the plane of its section. The details ofthe structure and the various features of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a cathode ray tubeshowing one type contact formed therein with the connector and jointembodying the invention;

Figure 2 shows a cross section of a portion of a cathode ray tube havingthe other type contact formed therein with the connector and jointembodying the invention;

Figures 3 and 4 are an end and a side view and Figure 5 is a plan viewof the connector shown in Figure 1;

Figure 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 shows the connector of Figure 6 in combination with itsinsulating cover in section; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the connector.

The connector in accordance with the invention comprises a resilient,metallic element formed in such a way as to follow the contours andmatch the contacting parts of both types. The metallic element thusformed is inserted into a matched resilient insulating member which bothholds and reinforces it.

Referring to Figure 1 a portion of the wall of a cathode ray tube 11 hassealed therein a cup shaped contact 12 comprising a base portion 13, areentrant contact member 14 protruding upwardly therefrom, and side wall16 curved inwardly forming an inwardly turned lip at the upper edgethereof.

2,719,956 Patented Oct. 4, 1955 The electrical connector comprises aresilient bifurcated metallic element 17 and an insulating holder 18with which said metallic element is matched. Connection to the usualsource of potential is made by means of a conventional insulated wire19.

The metallic element 17 in its preferred form is a longitudinal stripbent downwardly from the central portion thereof forming essentiallyparallel sides, and the outer ends being bent upwardly. The element mayalso be described as resembling a W. As shown in Figure 3, the centralportion of the W is crimped so that the open end portion defined therebyhas a reduced opening.

In one embodiment, the element 17 is formed from a piece of flat springstock having the central portion bent to form a tongue 27, having sides29. Preferably an aperture 28 is located near the outer end thereof forconnection to the wire 19 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The outerextremities of the strip are turned outwardly and upwardly formingC-shaped members 31. A plurality of slight undulations 32 and 33 may beformed in the G-shaped members 31.

The insulating member 18 comprises preferably a tubular element havingnear the lower end a flange or skirt portion 15 extending outwardly anddownwardly with the lower edge thereof substantially in a plane with thelower end of said tubular portion.

The metallic element 17 is supported by the insulating member 18 byinserting the central portion of the W within the lower end of thetubular portion 34, which forms a collar, of the insulator 18. Theupwardly projecting end portions of the metallic element 17 extendoutside this tubular portion of the insulating member 18.

The connector is shown in Figure l as used with the first type ofcathode ray tube contact described above. In this version, the openingin the contact member 17 ICC formed by the downwardly extending portions29 in the center thereof slip over and about the upwardly extendingcontact member 14 on the tube, making resilient firm contact therewith.The skirt portion of the insulating member 18 extends beyond the sidewalls of the contact 12 onto the wall of the cathode ray tube so as tocover completely all metallic parts.

When the connector 1'7 is used with an anode contact 12 as shown inFigure l, the downwardly turned sides 29 of the tongue 27 grip thecentral contact member 14 near the base thereof and maintain a holdthereon by virtue of their resiliency. Repeated clisengagements of theelectrical connector 17 from the anode contact 12 may in time result inweakening the sections 29 and in order to prolong the life of theconnector, this weakening the resiliency of the sections 29 is reducedby the resilient tubular portion 34 of the insulating cover 18. Thistubular portion 34 surrounds part of the sections 29 of the connectors17 and acts as a stop for the outer ends of the C-shaped members 31.Thus, when the connector 17 inserted into the anode contact 12, thesections 29 are expanded causing the outer ends of the (J-shaped members 31 to press against the portion 34 the resiliency of which aids theresiliency of the sections 259 for gripping the contact member 14. Thecenter of the tubular portion 34 is open to accommodate the connector 17and the neck 36 of the insulating cover 13 has a longitudinal opening toreceive one end of the connecting wire 19. Where the opening in theportion 34 meets the opening in the neck 36, there is preferably aslight ridge 37 forming a terminal abutment.

in Figure 2 the same electrical connector having similar parts indicatedby the same reference characters is shown attached to the second type ofcontact 21 in the Wall of the cathode ray tube 11. In this case thecontact 21 also is substantially cup-shaped and generally similar to thecontact 12. It differs primarily in that it has no contact memberextending upwardly from the base portion 22 thereof, depending insteadon the upper inwardly curved edges of the opening to make electricalcontact. A washer 24 is supported at the upper edge by the inturned rim23 and electrical contact is made at the inner edge of the centralopening in the washer 24.

The resilient terminal portion of the connector 17 is inserted into thecentral opening of the washer 24. The upwardly curved end portions ofthe metallic member 17 resiliently press against the inner edges of theopening formed by washer 24 thus making the electrical contact.

As may be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the electrical contact in oneinstance is made by the central opening of the metallic member 17serving as a contact resiliently pressing against the upwardly extendingcontact'member 14 and the outer upwardly extending portions of themetallic member 17 serve to provide compressional resiliency. In thesecond instance, the electrical contact is made between the upwardlyextending end portions of the metallic member 17 contacting the inneredge of the opening in the Washer 24, the central portion of themetallic member 17 in this latter case serving to provide addedresiliency.

As mentioned previously, preferably the upwardly turnedend portionsofconnector 17 extend inwardly near the outer edge thereof forming acurved section in order to provide a rounded head to simplify itsinsertion and withdrawal from washer 24. As in the first instance, theskirt portions extend beyond the contact 12 so as to cover all metalparts. In this fashion a universal contact is provided adaptable for usewith either of the popular types in the side wall of .the cathode raytube.

In a contact of the type 21 shown in Figure '2, the C-shaped members 31are compressed by the rim of the aperture in the flat washer 24, andagain the resiliency of the tubular portion 34 of the insulating member18 aids the resiliency of the sections 29 in maintaining goodconnection. It is in this type of anode contact that the undulationsengage the Washer 24 closely and prevent the connector 17 from beingwithdrawn by small, accidental pressure thereon.

In Figure 6, the connector 117 is formed of spring wire instead of flatmetal stock as was connector 17. The wire forming connector 117 isdoubled back on itself and one or both ends are preferably coiled into ahelix 127 to receive the Wire 19. The upwardly curled portions 131 and132 grip the walls of an anode contact of the type shown as contact 21in Figure 2 in the same way as the C-shaped members 31 of connector 17.The slightly bowed sections 129 grip the base of a central projection 14of the type shown in Figure 1 in the same way as the sections 29 of theconnector 17.

Figure 7 shows the connectors 117 enclosed in an insulating cover 118which differs from the cover 18 shown in Figures 1 and 2 in that theneck 136 extends parallel to the side wall of a cathode ray tube insteadof perpendicular thereto as does the neck 36 in Figures 1 and 2. Theinwardly extending portion 134 aids the resiliency of the portions 131and 132 in the same Way as the portion 34 aids the resiliency of theC-shaped members 31 in Figures 1 and 2.

Although this invention has been described in terms of specificembodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatmodifications in the shapes of the elements may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising an insulating element formed todefine a central aperture surrounded by a collar, said element. alsobeing flared to provide a flanged cover for said connector, anelectrical contact in said aperture comprising a metallic memberextending into said aperture, said metallic member being bifurcated toprovide electrical contact on opposite sides of said aperture, thebifurcations of said metallic member extending out from said opening andbeing turned back on said collar, whereby saidexternal portion of saidmember provides additional electrical contact.

2. The electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 in which saidaperture is a central longitudinal opening through said insulatingelement and provides connection for a wire therethrough.

3. The electrical connector in accordance with claim 2 wherein thebifurcated metallic element is formed of a spring metal toprovideresilient contact therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,722,511 Vansickle -2 July 30, 1929 2,253,164 Benander Aug. 19, 19412,323,148 McLaughlin June 29, 1943 2,367,512 MacFadden Jan. 16, 19452,448,509 Antony, Jr., ct al. Sept. 7, 1948 2,488,901 Del Camp Nov. 22,1949 2,640,184 Bauer May 26, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 433,046 Great BritainAug. 7, 1935 496,739 France Nov. 14, 1919 611,497 Great Britain Oct. 29,1948 m "wa

